ASHEBORO — The Lady Bears’ soccer team fell 3-1 to Uwharrie Charter in the second round of the 1A State Playoffs.
Hot off the team’s first playoff victory since 2019, Mount Airy struck first against Uwharrie with a Karyme Bueno goal nearly an hour into Thursday’s playoff match. The No. 7-seeded Eagles netted the equalizer eight minutes later on a free kick, then scored the go-ahead goal with just six minutes left on the clock.
Uwharrie Charter added an insurance goal with two minutes left in regulation to secure the playoff win.
”I thought we did a really good job early on then scoring that first goal,” said Bears coach Will Hurley. “I thought we could’ve had them when we got that 1-0 lead. I knew we needed to rest some of the girls, but having seven players out with injuries really hurt us. Uwharrie stayed in the fight and made some good plays down the stretch.”
Tuesday’s game was given a 5:00 kickoff time since Uwharrie Charter’s field didn’t have lights, meaning it was 91-degrees when the game began. Despite the heat, Hurley felt the Lady Bears were able to keep their stamina up through the first half and part of the second.
“Everything really came together at one point, “Hurley said. “I thought some of passing was really, really good, and we were able to move the ball up the field efficiently on a field that wasn’t easy to play on. Ashley [Escamilla] came in off the bench and played significant minutes in the midfield when Paola [Ramirez] went down.”
Ramirez left the game with an injury in the 25th minute. She and Morgan Hiatt advanced up the right sideline with 1-2 passes that put Ramirez in a 1-on-1 situation with Uwharrie’s keeper. Ramirez’s shot was deflected out of bounds by the charging keeper, and the ensuing collision took the Lady Bear sophomore out of the game.
The injury led to Hurley adapting his lineup once again. Mount Airy already had its striker shifted back to defensive mid, a center midfielder moved up to striker, and a defender moved up to midfielder to compensate for the cornucopia of injuries.
Defensively, Mount Airy’s back line of Kinlee Reece, Kylie James, Aubrey Wilmoth and Aliyah Flores held Uwharrie to just four shots in the first half. The Bears caught the Eagles’ speedy forwards offside, and any chances Uwharrie had after getting through the defense were stopped by keeper Mackenzie Hudson.
Mount Airy broke the scoreless tie in the 56th minute. Kate Deaton attacked up the left sideline and crossed to Karyme Bueno in the box, and Bueno finished to put Mount Airy up 1-0.
The Bears shifted into a defensive mindset after scoring. This deterred all of Uwharrie’s goal-scoring opportunities until the 64th minute, when the Eagles’ converted on a 35-yard free kick.
Hiatt’s long throw ins had Mount Airy back into Uwharrie’s 18-yard box, but the Bears’ shots couldn’t find the back of the net. The teams were knotted up at 1-1 until Uwharrie floated a cross from the left sideline into the side-netting of the far post in the 74th minute.
The Eagles shifted their formation into a defensive 4-3-3 after the second goal. With the center of the field more crowded, Mount Airy pushed for more attacks up the sidelines which set Hiatt up for more long throw ins. Deaton had a pair of good looks in the final four minutes as a result, but both shots went off frame in an attempt to bypass the crowded 18-yard box. Grey Moore added a shot on goal that saved by Uwharrie’s keeper.
With Mount Airy’s team now in an offensive formation, Uwharrie took advantage and added its third goal. The Bears moved into Eagle territory with less than a minute to play, but it was too little too late as the final whistle signaled the end of Mount Airy’s historic season.
“One thing I have to say about Uwharrie is that their girls were really respectful and really good to our girls,” Hurley said. “They battled for 80 minutes, then brought over freeze pops for our girls and talked with them after the game. There was a lot of great sportsmanship, and it was a pleasure to see.”
The Lady Bears finish the season 17-3-4. Mount Airy captured its first-ever conference championship this season while setting school records for single-season wins (17), fewest goals allowed (20), most shutouts (14) and the most consecutive matches without a loss (17).
Hurley knew early on this team was capable of great things, but said none of it would be possible if the girls hadn’t put in the work.
“I’d have to say there really wasn’t a single player that I’d consider most improved, because that honor would go to the entire team,” Hurley said. “Everyone really bought in and worked incredibly hard to be successful.
“We probably started out as an offensive team, then injuries really hit home and we became more of a defensive team in the end. Had we not had those injuries, I think we would’ve gotten better defensively and been great at both. It just says a lot about the girls’ character to keep fighting all year long. I’m just thankful I got to be a part of it.”
Hurley credited his three senior players – Hiatt, Hudson and Moore – for really setting the tone for the team to be successful.
“They treated everybody across the board equally,” Hurley said. “These three seniors did not get senioritis like most teams either. This has been the best team I’ve ever had as far as everyone getting along, and those three seniors made all the difference.
“Everybody was pretty upset after the game. When Morgan walked off the field I could see she was crying, so I ran over to her and told her it was alright. She said, ‘It’s just the greatest team I’ve ever been a part of.’ I think she was less upset about the actual loss and more that the season was over. She didn’t want to leave this crew.
“They really have been a pleasure to coach.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
Be First to Comment